Aledonus
"For so long I struggled to find my place in the world. Now it seems it has been chosen for me." Aledonus Almius Macander (born 25 Autumn ME288), better known as Aledon, is the second son of Almius Macander and Prince of the Macandrian Kingdom. He is also one of the major characters in the novella Ascension, and the main character of the short story Exodus. History Life as Prince Aledon was born the second son of King Almius, and younger brother to Arcturus Macander. Their mother, Helena Macander, died when Aledon was only 5 years old. Growing up, Aledon often fled the palace and explored the capital city, seeing Macandrian society for what it really was instead of what the tutors presented it as. While Aledon and Arcturus got along reasonably, Arcturus was given more attention due to him being the Crown Prince. Aledon began to resent the unfair treatment. Three years prior to the events of Garden, Aledon learned of Almius' authorization and usage of an Assassin's Guild to murder people deemed threats to the Kingdom's stability. Exodus Disillusioned by his Father's actions, Aledon left the Macandrian Capital and travelled the continent, before eventually arriving in Port Costa. After a misunderstanding with a group of Yuan Pirates, Aledon found himself onboard the Gouyoku, where he was drugged and tricked into signing a writ of servitude to the ship's captain, Lira Hikari. Aledon later argued that the writ was signed under false circumstances, but Lira replied that the drug she used only worked if part of him agreed to the idea. Resigning himself to his new duty as Lira's bodyguard, Aledon travelled the oceans with her and the Yuan pirates, constantly pulling Lira out of dangerous situations. While Aledon was bothered by Lira's behavior, he was sure there was some way to redeem her. Eventually, Aledon and Lira confronted Tatsuo Orochi, a Yuan slaver who had enslaved Lira years ago. Despite his best attempts, Aledon could not stop Lira from murdering the slaver. Disillusioned with the pirate, Aledon drugged Lira into releasing him from his contract. In a final act of defiance, Lira forced Aledon to sleep with her. As the day broke, Aledon slipped away in one of the liferafts, unsure of the night before. Peregrination Aledon eventually landed on the eastern shore of the Draconian Province, in a small port town named Artivur. Aledon learned of a monster that attacked the villagers and livestock at night, then vanished by morning. Aledon tracked the creature back to a cave in the nearby hills, and discovered it was a Reaper, an ancient creature from pre-Macandrian times. After a long battle, Aledon managed to slay the Reaper and present its' head to the town leader. Aledon left the town soon after, fearing Lira might be hunting him. Custodis When Aledon reached the port city Nikopolis, he found a city full of crime, corruption, and oppression. With the guards paid off by the various syndicates, Aledon took it upon himself to fight the corruption that plagued the city, defending the poor and oppressed from extortion while ruining various criminal operations throughout the city. The people of the city nicknamed him Custodis, the Guardian. While Aledon was approached with various offers of alliances or official positions within the guard, he turned them all down, feeling he worked best alone and on his own terms. Return to Macander King of Macandria As King of Macandria, Aledon found himself constantly at odds with both his advisors and the Senate. On one occasion Aledon's insistance on disbanding the morally-ambiguous Assassin's Guild resulted in instability among the Provinces. When Aledon learned of a secret facility of the Guild hidden beneath the city, he recruited Amnar to assist him in locating it in exchange for guaranteed protection of Bihotz. The duo were separated while searching for the facility, and Aledon discovered the hidden base of the Macandrian Thieves Guild. After meeting its leader, Lira Hikari, the two joined forces to find the facility, overcoming numerous traps and obstacles along the way. After breaching the Inner Sanctum, the duo were reunited with Amnar. Aledon then faced another dilemma. Lira wished for the resources inside the facility to be preserved for the Thieves Guild, while Amnar wished for the facility, as well as all it's resources and knowledge, to be destroyed to prevent what the Guild did to its members from ever happening again. Aledon sided with Amnar and had the facilty destroyed, much to Lira's dismay. Aledon would later approach Lira and offer a deal that would benefit them both. In exchange for off-the-record funding of Lira's Thieves Guild, the Guild would act as a spy organization for Macandria. After years of tension between them, Aledon and Lira would eventually marry. Their first child, Yoko Macander, would be born at sea. A few years later, Lira would give birth to twins, Rin Macander and Leonidus Macander. Personality Merciful and Charitable, Aledonus often goes out of his way to help others in need. He despises those who would exploit the weak and the downtrodden, and has been seen by many as a champion of the under-class. Relationships Almius Macander Aledon's relationship with his father was always tense. As the younger son, Aledon always felt that his father loved Arcturus more than him. The untimely death of his mother also made relationships with his father tense. It was when Aledon learned of Almius' connection to the Assassin's Guild that Aledon left the kingdom. Arcturus Macander Due to Almius' emphasis on preparing Arcturus for taking the throne, the brothers had little interaction with each other growing up. But despite this, Aledon never blamed him for their father's favoritism. Holtarna With Almius busy preparing Arcturus to succeed him, Aledon often looked to the Archmage Holtarna for guidance. Lira Hikari The relationship between Aledon and the Yuan pirate Lira Hikari has always been complex. While Aledon disapproves of Lira's lifestyle of decandance and debauchery, he believes that there is good within her. Category:Browse Category:Characters Category:Ascension Characters